Prof.  Jinyu  Sheng
Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University,  Canada

Title: Numerical Study of Surface Waves and Ocean Circulation during Severe Weather Conditions over the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Abstract:

Upper oceans are highly energetic during severe weather conditions such as hurricanes and winter storms, with large ocean surface gravity waves and intense ocean currents. A coupled wave-currents modelling system has been used by the regional modelling group at Dalhousie University for simulating surface waves and three-dimensional ocean currents over the northwest Atlantic Ocean during ten selected severe weather conditions, which include seven hurricane conditions (Hurricanes Juan in 2003, Bill in 2009, Ophelia in 2001, Earl in 2010, Earl in 2010, Arthur in 2014, and Fiona in 2022) and three winter storms (White Juan in 2004 and two winter storms in 2014). Comparisons of model results with in-situ observations and satellite data during these severe weather conditions demonstrate the suitability of the coupled modelling system in simulating the extreme surface wave conditions and intense ocean currents during the severe weather conditions. Our model results also reveal that the satisfactory performance of the coupled modelling system requires the reliable temporal-spatial representations of atmospheric conditions during these severe storms. Nonlinear interactions between waves and currents also occur over regions with large surface waves and strong ocean currents. The wave-current interactions (WCIs) consist of both the current effects on waves (CEWs) and wave effects on currents (WECs). The results of the coupled modelling system are used in quantifying major important processes affecting the WCIs during these ten severe weather conditions.

Biography:

Dr. Jinyu Sheng is Professor in the Department of Oceanography at Dalhousie University of Canada. He obtained his PhD degree in Physical Oceanography from Memorial University in 1990 and became a faculty member at Dalhousie University in 1999. His main research interest includes coastal and shelf dynamics, developments and applications of numerical ocean circulation and wave models, modelling and prediction of extreme marine conditions, and wave-current and ice-current interactions. He received the Prize in Applied Oceanography awarded by the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society in 2018.